Spark ignition device with a gas control valve and a switch



April 1969 R. c. GEHRKE 3,436,165

SPARK IGNITION DEVICE WITH A GAS CONTROL VALVE AND A SWITCH Filed April25, 1967 Sheet r 2 f M/zmm ROBERT C. GEHRKE April 1, 1969 R. c. GEHRKE3,436,165

SPARK IGNITION DEVICE WITH A GAS CONTROL VALVE AND A SWITCH Filed April25. 1967 I Sheet 2 of 2 //Yl//V7'&K ROBERT c. GEHRKE yaw United StatesPatent SPARK IGNITION DEVICE WITH A GAS CONTROL VALVE AND A SWITCHRobert C. Gehrke, Kutztown, Pa., assignor to Caloric Corporation,Topton, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 25, 1967, Ser. No.633,550 Int. Cl. F2311 7/12 U.S. Cl. 431-256 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE The invention utilizes a capacitor or other arc orsparkproducing device, a valve stem for opening and closing a gas cook,a switch for controlling the circuit of the sparkproducing device andmeans for operatively connecting the switch with the valve stem wherebyinitial opening of the gas valve closes the switch to energize thespark-producing device substantially simultaneously with the arrival ofthe gas at the point of combustion.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view partly in section of a combined switchand a valve stem embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view looking in the direction of the arrows online 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2a is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1 looking in thedirection of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is an internal elevational view partly in section of the switchstructure showing the switch in fully open position.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the positions of the switchparts as the valve stem is beginning to turn in valve-opening directionand as terminal 30 is being moved toward engagement with terminal 28 toclose the switch.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing, in solid lines, the positionof the switch parts when the valve has been opened further and theswitch has returned to its full open position. In broken lines, thisview also shows the position of the switch parts when the gas valve hasbeen fully closed and the switch has been reset.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the operating parts of the switchillustrating a modification thereof.

In FIG. 1, there is shown a conventional gas valve 10 which permits, orprevents, the flow of gas from a manifold 12 to pipes 14 and 16 whichlead to points of combustion such as the front and rear top surfaceburners, or the oven or broiler, of a cooking stove or other appliance,or a pilot. A valve of this type comprises a casing 18 which houses arotary valve plug 19, which is carried by valve stem 20 and is rotatedby knob 22. Valve plug 19 has a transverse passage 21 which in oneposition of the plug, is out of registration with the nipple 23 andprevents all flow of gas from the manifold 12 to pipes 14 and 16, andwhich in other positions of the valve plug, permits partial, or full,flow of gas through passageways 18a or 18b of the casing to said pipes.

Since the valve described is a purchased item and has been known forgenerations, and since its structure is not being claimed as such, andsince any one, following the above description can construct it, or anoperative substitute, additional details of the valve are not shown nordescribed. It is enough to note that the valve that the closing of theswitch ice plug is rotatable in either direction, and that rotation incounter-clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 3 to 5, opens the valve,that is, permits the flow of gas from the manifold 12 to pipes 14 and16, and vice versa.

To carry out the invention, I provide a switch housing 50 containing anormally open switch 26 which housing is carried by casing 18, theswitch 26 being adapted to be closed by rotation of valve stem 20. Ascan be seen from FIGS. 3 to 5, switch 26 includes a fixed, rigid,terminal 28 and a resilient and movable terminal 30. These terminals areconnected, by wires 32, to a capacitor, or other spark or arc-producingdevice, not shown, which, when the switch is closed by engaging terminal30 with terminal 28, will produce an electric are or spark. Since arcand spark-producing devices are old in welding and in other arts, andsince they are available on the market, and since no claim is made toany special device, the structure and operation of no particular type ofarcing device is shown nor described. It is sufiicient to say producesan arc, or spark, at the point of combustion.

In order to provide an ignition spark substantially simultaneously withthe arrival of gas at the point of combustion; to limit the length orendurance of the spark to the extent necessary to cause ignition; toenable the operator to produce repeated sparks; to prevent the formationof a spark during the further movement of the valve plug in gas flowpermitting direction, or in gas flow restricting direction; and in orderto cause the full closing of the valve to reset the switch for anothercycle of operation, movable terminal 30 is normally biased away fromterminal 28 so that switch 26, if unrestrained, will be normally open asshown in FIGS. 3 and 5. It will also be seen that the position ofterminal 30 in FIG. 5 coincides with partial, or with full, opening ofthe valve.

In order to close switch 26 just as the gas valve is opened, I providevalve stem 20 with a disc 34 which has a notch 36 for receiving thebottom end of terminal 30, and with a lug 38 for moving terminal 30 intomomentary engagement with fixed terminal 28.

The operation is as follows:

Beginning with the switch fully open, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 5,and with the valve fully closed, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 5, theoperator turns knob 22 and valve stem 20 in counter-clockwise directionto engage the left side of lug 38 with the right side of terminal 30, asshown in FIG. 3. Further movement of the valve stem begins to open thevalve as it moves terminal 30 toward engagement with the fixed terminal28 of the switch, as shown in FIG. 4. By this arrangement an arc, orspark, will be produced just as the gas reaches the point of combustion.Further rotation of the valve stem moves lug 38 out of engagement with,and to the left of, terminal 30, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 5 topermit partial or full flow of gas. When the valve stem is turned incounter-clockwise direction to full closed position, lug 38 firstengages the left side of terminal 30 and progressively clears the lowerend of terminal 30 until it assumes the position shown in broken linesin FIG. 5. It will be noted that the movement of the valve in closingdirection moves terminal 30 away from terminal 28, or in switch-opening,not switch-closing, direction. Also, fully closing the valve brings lug38 to the right of terminal 30 and resets the switch for another cycle.

In order to provide positive, fool-proof protection against unintendedclosing of switch 26, disc 34 is provided with a ridge 40 which is shownin FIG. 6 and which, when the valve is in closed position, engages theleft side of terminal 30 and provides a positive stop to preventterminal 30 from unintended contact with terminal 28 until disc 34 isturned in counter-clockwise direction,

far enough for the right edge of ridge 40 to clear terminal 28.

It will be noted that the movement of the valve stem and of terminal 30are so coordinated, the igniting spark is produced just as the gasarrives at the point of combustion (the point of sparking), that is,before the accumulation of enough gas to cause any explosion.

It will also be noted that if, for any reason, no spark is produced atfirst try, the operator can immediately turn back to valve closingdirection, again before any objectionable amount of gas has escaped. Ifthe operator wishes, he can again turn the valve in counter-clockwisedirection for a second try at ignition. This can be done safely becausethe amount of gas reaching the sparking device is so small thattheoperation of the valve a few times without achieving ignition, willnot produce any seriously dangerous conditions.

What I claim is:

1. In combination:

a valve for controlling the flow of gas to a burner and igniting meansfor igniting said gas substantially simultaneously with its arrival atsaid burner,

said valve including a housing, a shaft rotatably mounted in saidhousing, and a plug on said shaft rotatable therewith within saidhousing between a closed position in which no gas flows to said burnerand at least one open position in which gas flows to said burner,

said igniting means including a spark-producing device, a normally openswitch electrically connected to said spark-producing device, andactuating means for closing said switch, said actuating means comprisinga dielectric disc mounted upon said shaft, said switch including a pairof normally spaced apart contacts one of which is resilient anddimensioned to extend into a notch in an edge of said disc, said discbeing rotatable with the shaft to move a side of said notch intoengagement with the contact therein and urge said contact momentarilyinto engagement with the second contact when the shaft, plug and discare moved in the valve-opening direction, thereby energizing saidspark-producing device.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein a dielectric casingencloses and supports said switch and said disc and is fixed to saidvalve casing, and said shaft extends through the switch casing andsupports the disc in proximity to said switch.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said disc is providedwith means for preventing accidental engagement of the flexible contactwith the other contact upon movement of the shaft and disc in thevalve-closing direction.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein said means comprises aprojection on the disc at one end of said notch. v

5. In combination, a rotary valve for controlling the flow of gas to aburner and igniting means for igniting said gas substantiallysimultaneously with its arrival at said burner,

said valve including a housing, a shaft mounted in said housing forrotation about its axis, and a plug on said shaft rotatable coaxiallytherewith between a closed position in which no gas flows to said burnerand at least one open position in which gas flows to said burner,

said igniting means including a spark-producing device,

a dielectric casing fixed to said valve housing, a normally open switchsaid casing and electrically connected to said spark-producing device,and actuating means in said casing for closing said switch, saidactuating means comprising a dielectric disc mounted coaxially upon saidshaft, said switch including a pair of normally spaced apart contactsone of which is resilient and dimensioned to extend into a notch in anedge of said disc, said disc being rotatable with the shaft to move aside of said notch into engagement with the contact therein and urgesaid contact momentarily into engagement with the second contact,thereby energizing said spark-producing device.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 556,138 3/1896 Doyle 31786853,314 5/1907 Nawn 31786 1,735,834 11/1929 Mayo 431 256 1,895,0321/1933 Fisher 431255 X 2,482,794 9/1949 Peterson 431256 2,888,066 5/1959Wilson 431-255 3,305,701 2/1967 Remy et a1. 31786 VOLODYMYR Y. MAYEWSKY,Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 31796

